Técnico hosted a training event under the project INGDIVS/Increasing Gender Diversity in STEM, co-funded by Erasmus+ programme. An International Conference was held this Thursday, April 11th, aimed to discuss gender diversity and develop strategic and action plans. About 20 to 25 professionals participated in the conference.

Professor Zita Martins, from the Department of Chemical Engineering, professor Isabel Lousada from AMONET – Portuguese Association of Women in Science and professor Ana Teresa Freitas, from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (DEI) and CEO of HeartGenetics, shared their experience on how they managed to break gender stereotypes.

The reasons why these women chose STEM fields, the gender discrepancies and their role to avoid this situation, were topics addressed by all speakers. “I became aware of this gender imbalance at Imperial College, where I studied during a decade”, said professor Zita Martins. “Three young women from London approached me after a lecture and said that they didn’t know that women could work in planetary science”. Professor Ana Teresa Freitas stressed the importance of bring science and children together and show young girls how engineering and innovation reflect directly in society. According to the CEO of HeartGenetics “we need to show young girls that they can work in engineering. The books should make Science and Technology fun for young girls”.

At the end of the conference, professor Zita Martins stressed that “equal opportunities is a challenge that must involve everyone”.